Article published: Monday, January 24th 2011

Students in sixth-form and further education (FE) colleges around the country are to stage a walk-out this Wednesday 26 January as part of the ongoing struggle to save Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and resist cuts to education.

The call for this week’s action was issued by ‘college students and a few supporters around the country who want to see the movement against cuts get stronger and spread’. They have produced a leaflet which is being distributed around college today and tomorrow.

The leaflet contains testimonies from students around the country on how the abolition of EMA will affect them, as well as advice on how to organise a walk-out and information on legal rights at demonstrations. Recent protests have been marred by police brutality and intimidation against young people, many of whom have little experience in dealing with policing at protests.

The group also call on teachers to join students and unite in the movement to protect access to education. The text says: “It shouldn’t just be up to students to fight against cuts to EMA, and it shouldn’t be up to just staff to defend jobs”.

This joined a declaration of ‘complete support for the call to opposition to the disgraceful and immoral attacks on access to education’ by GMB union general secretary.

Last week Labour forced a parliamentary vote on the issue but it was nevertheless passed by the Coalition majority in favour of abolishing EMA. Ministers had made it clear that a vote is not required to get rid of EMA.

Culture

A heavy mist suddenly falls on a darkened Manchester hiding from sight unspeakably hideous creatures. Drums can be heard in the distance lulling you into a hypnotic trance, the work of witches and daemons no doubt. Or perhaps Voodoo ring masters, descending onto the city streets armed with psychedelic beats banged out by their armies of musical Goblins possessed with the desire for mischief and fun. It must be that time of year again; it can only be the Illuminaughty Halloween party.

Poetry and science are two things generally not associated with each other, in fact if you joined the two in a word association test you would be one step closer to a chemical cosh and your very own padded cell. However the audience attending the Science Slam at the packed out Nexus Art Cafe Thursday night will never again doubt the validity of the two pursuits being combined; though I can’t rule out they may end up bouncing of the walls of a padded cell at some time in the future.

We were outside Nexus Art Café in the Northern Quarter, queuing, when a car raced up, the driver shoved a woman to the pavement and the performance began. This was the introduction to the character Aggie in A Dream Play by the Déjà Vu Ensemble, daughter of the gods, who has come to our world to learn what it means to be human.